NEARING THE END

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 October 1928, Page 6

NEARING THE END

PROGRESS OF SESSION. ’

(Special Correspondent.;

WELLINGTON, September 29. The session ; is now running its course, but it is not hastening to destruction as quickly as many desire. The original programme was to close down next Saturday, but doubts have now arisen as to whether this will be possible, and it is feared that it will be Monday or Tuesday, / or perhaps later, before Mr Speaker leaves the Chair for the last time this session. The usual end-of-session rush is now making itself apparent, and the Opposition is naturally not going to afford any losing opportunity for criticism that presents itself. A big debate is expected next week when the Railway Amendment Bill, which, among other things, provides for the terms and conditions of the appoin - ment of the new General Manager o Railways, is called on. The Leader of the Opposition has practically said that it is intended to challenge the Government’s action in conceding various conditions without the authority of Parliament, and then coming along to ask for legislative sanction for what amounted to an illegality. The Government has a pretty considerable majority, of course, and t ie Prime Minister will see that it is used to good effect so the Opposition might as well save its breath. In these days of swinging majorities criticism is certainly futile, and the only remedy seems to lie with the electors, but the threat of serious idustnal trouble, whether in Australia or New Zealand, is not wdiat the Labour Party is relishing at the moment because it is not conducive to pulling down the size of the Government s majority. Now that the session is nearly overone is almost tempted to ask what it has all been, about. The Statute Book does not give promise of being a very fat one this year, and what it will contain may not be considered to be of a very remarkable nature. The emasculation of the Mental Defectives Amendment Bill lias certainly taken the sting out of that measure so far as it has gone, although it is not known what the Legislative Council will do with it. The debate on the Mental Defectives Amendment Bill has, of course, been the ‘‘star” turn of the week. It provided the occasion for the first break-fast-sitting of the session, but stranger than that it threw the Labour Party and Mr Lysnar into one another s arms. 'When the Prime Minister cracked the whip and made the Bill a party measure, he was unable to exert any good influence over Mr Lysnar, who simply (proceeded to crack the Bill all the harder. .He feared that the extended definition of the term

“mental defective” might give the Minister power to “rope in the extreme’ Labour Party,” and that would be contrary to all the elemental principles of British justice! Coming from Mr Lysnar that sounded exquisite as his “love” for the Labour Party is not even platonic. However, by process of wearing members out tlie Government finally succeeded in forcing the Bill through Committee, but it was not until the sun was well up in the heavens that the Minister of Health disclosed that it was not proposed to proceed with the most contentious clauses in the Bill. Had- that in-

formation been. vouchsafed by the Prime Minister the previous night when he said that the essential clauses of the Bill would have to go through an' all-night sitting would have been salved. lie knows best why he would not give the information to the House beforehand, and it was no satisfaction- to hear it after such a. lot of hot air 'had been wasted and members were almost fit subjects to come

within the definitions contained in the Bill.

An interesting announcement was made by Sir Joseph Ward during the discussion on the annual Taxing Bill as to his intentions in the coming election contest. He stated that he did not intend to ramble into every electorate in the country. He would make a policy speech, and those who took an interest in the public affairs of the country could read it. Sir Joseph, presumably, is going to leave it to his hendhmen, Messrs Veitch, Ransom, and Forbes to do the hard work of stumping the country. The Government Party is not very pleased with Sir Joseph Ward’s acceptance of the leadership of the United Party, for it is feared that he will be the means of capturing many a vote that might (have gofne into Mr Coates’s pocket. Already many members are talking . about a stalemate after the election, and some wish that the fusion negotiations of 1924 had not come to such an untimely end. The hugeness of the Government’s majority has, it is admitted, an element of danger about it, for it is causing people to say that it should be reduced and thaU it will do the Government good if it does not have quite so much of ' its own way in the. next Parliament. Reform inner councils say that if that feeling becomes anything like general during the course of the election campaign it may (have very damaging effect?. The loss of a dozen seats brought about by the desire on the part of the electors to reduce the size of the Government's majority could very well cause a crisis unless gains were made to counterbalance it. To have a talk round .the lobbies provides very interesting sidelights as to how many members have the -“wind up” in regard to the coming election. But the Labour Party is getting “windy,” too. The developments of the Australian maritime strike are gloomy, and they make no secret of tllieir hope that it will not extend to New Zealand.

As usual, humour has again been almost entirely absent from the proceedings of the House this week. Al r Savage, the member for Auckland West, got a bit tangled up in his metaphors when dismissing the 'taxing Bill. Replying to an interjection from the Government benches, he said that it was no good trying to “split, a herring” in that way. lie seemed to think that the Government’s attitude in re-

gard to taxation burdens was altogether too fishy, but being a good Labour men w'lml he wanted was a red straw with which io illustrate his argu-

ment. In the course of debates we often hear of red herrings and split straws, but split herrings are a new species of political weapon with, which even the Minister of Marine has not even yet become familiar. Sir Francis Bell has just taken over this portfolio, and lie may be prevailed upon to undertake a fishing expedition be-

tween now ami the General I'Jection to see where the Labour Party’s red herrings are spawned. On Friday afternoon when the re-

ports of Select Committees were being considered and members were imploring the Government to give heed to the recommendations which they contained, it was noticed that not a single Minister was in his seat. Calmly, Air Veitch crossed the floor of the House and sat on the front bench. Until the Alinister of education arrived to save flhe situation, Air Veitch was leading the Government, much to the amusement, of the House. Was this a case of a coming event casting a, shadow before ? From now on until the end of the session everything will be somewhat of a burl. 'There is still a fair amount of work to be done, but if members refrain from attempts at electioneering by haranguing the Press Gallery they may be able to pack their traps next, Saturday. As they are merely human politicians, however, the odds] are that, the session will run on until] the early part of the follow ing week. ] November 14 is drawing near, and it is fast becoming a ease of making eveiy speech a.wi un i ii“ speech if possible.